Halibut Tacos

Fish tacos.  Back when I was in college, I worked part time in a bank, and across the street was a Del Taco.  I remember once going to work and looking at the reader board at the Del Taco and seeing the words "Fish tacos", and was completely disgusted by the idea!  Of course, I was young and a bit narrow-minded back then, and to me, tacos meant one thing: ground beef seasoned with a taco seasoning packet in one of those hard shells that taste like cardboard.  I had only recently been introduced to the idea of soft chicken tacos and was still getting used to that concept, and fish tacos was just way too outside of the norm for me.  I never even tried fish tacos until about a year ago.  We were over at the Oregon coast and went to a Mexican restaurant for lunch, and they had halibut tacos on the menu.  I had to try them.  They were amazing- and I couldn't believe I'd waited so long to try them!

These tacos are light, delicious, and easy.  The marinade comes together in a snap, the fish fillets marinate for only 10 minutes, and they cook under the broiler in about 10 minutes.  I love halibut so that's what I used here, but you could use any mild, white fish.  Tilapia would probably be lovely.

Halibut Tacos
Serves about 4

2  halibut fillets, about 4 oz. each
3-4 cloves garlic, pressed or minced finely
1 lime, zested and juiced
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped, divided
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
2 tbsp olive oil
salt/pepper to taste
1 cup shredded lettuce
1/2 grated sharp cheddar cheese
4 scallions, sliced thinly
Salsa, homemade or store bought
1 package corn tortillas

1.  Preheat broiler on high heat.  For the marinade, combine lime juice, lime zest, half of the cilantro,  olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes in a large ziplock bag.  Add fish fillets.  Marinate 10 minutes.

2.  While fish is marinating, shred cheese, lettuce, chop cilantro, and slice scallions.

3. Place fish fillets on a wire rack over a foil-lined shallow pan.  Broil about 10 minutes or until cooked through.  Thicker cuts of fish may take longer.  If fish begins to brown on top, cover with foil and continue to cook until done.

4.  Wrap tortillas (2 per taco) in a tea towel.  Microwave about 40 seconds just before serving.


5. When fish is cooked, remove from rack to a wide, shallow bowl or plate.  Use a fork to break the fish into large chunks.


6.  To serve, place two tortillas stacked on top of each other onto each plate.  Spoon fish in the center of each, then top with salsa, cheese, lettuce, cilantro, and onions.

Broiled Salmon With Garlic and Herbs (Gremolata)

Here in the Pacific Northwest, we enjoy a very short season wherein Copper River salmon are available.  The Copper River in Alaska is nearly 300 miles in length, and the salmon that run there become strong and robust, unlike any other salmon on the market.  Their peak season is mid-May to mid-June, and the season is so short that you have to jump on it before it is gone.

I love salmon, but I don't love its price: on average, it costs $10 per pound.  Hard to justify, when I can get chicken for $2.49 per pound or less.  Still, salmon is a delicacy, and one with immense health benefits.  I refuse to buy farmed salmon anymore.  Just do the research on it, and you will see why.  So when the Copper River Salmon hits the local grocery stores, I take advantage of it.

This is a recipe I have made for many years.  I did not always like salmon, or even fish in general- in fact, growing up, I did not much like fish at all.  I never had fresh fish though- my exposure to fish in my younger years was limited to the frozen fish sticks that pervaded the American market in the 1980s.  As such, I was not left with a favorable impression.  As an adult, I had salmon in restuarants, and was immediately won over.  It is so easy to cook at home too, and very versatile- it is delicious steamed, broiiled, or sauteed.

This recipe utilizes a basic gremolata, which is a paste made from garlic, lemon, and herbs.  It is a flavorful addition not only to fish and meats, but to vegetables, sauces, and anything else that can support the strong garlic and herb flavors.  It is excellent with steak, or in salad dressing.  It is a perfect match for the bold flavor of the Copper River salmon.  Try making some ahead and using throughout the week- you can add instant flavor to any dish.

Broiled Salmon with Garlic and Herbs (Gremolata)

Serves: 2

2 salmon filets
4 cloves garlic, pressed or finely minced
1 tsp freshly grated lemon zest
1/2 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tbsp fresh parsley, minced
1/2 tbsp fresh chives, chopped
1/2 tbsp fresh dill, chopped
1 tsp grill seasoning
1 tsp olive oil or more as needed

1.  Preheat broiler.  Combine garlic, herbs, lemon juice and olive oil in a small bowl to make gremolata.  Set aside.

2.  Pat salmon filets dry and place skin side down on wire rack on a baking sheet.

3.  Spread gremolata (garlic and herb mixture) onto salmon filets.

4.  When broiler is hot, put salmon into oven.  Broil 7 minutes.

5.  Place a sheet of foil over salmon and continue cooking for 5 more minutes.

6.  Test salmon for doneness.  If not done, continue to cook, covered with foil, in 4 minute increments, until done.

7.  Remove from oven and serve immediately.

Linguini With Prosciutto and Peas, For One

Life is so crazy busy these days, I barely have time to cook, let alone remember to snap pictures of what I do cook!  This has been another one of those weeks with more take-out than I would like.  My daughter has had extra dance rehearsals in preparation for their upcoming recital, and three nights in a row for 2 weeks is taking its toll!  Yesterday, I ended up getting take-out pizza for the kids, but didn't partake myself because I'm really trying to watch what I eat.  I did not even have time for dinner before we had to leave for dance class, so I was starving by the time we got home after 8pm.  I threw this dinner together for myself in about 15 minutes, and I can't decide what made it more delicious- the fresh peas I picked up from the farmer's market on Wednesday, or the fact that I was so danged hungry that ANYTHING would taste good!  Seriously, this is some great comfort food, and not *too* bad on the diet.  I looked for whole grain linguini in the grocery store, but could only find spaghetti, and really felt that a thicker noodle would be best in this one, so went with regular linguini here.  Seems like a trip to Trader Joe's is in order- I bet they have some variety of whole grain linguini!


Linguini with Prosciutto and Peas

I made one serving of this, and I didn't measure anything so for more, increase the ingredients.  It's ok, I trust you. ;)

Ingredients:

- Dry linguini noodles, whole grain if you can find them.  I don't know how much.  Enough for one nice bowl.
- About 3/4 cup freshly shelled peas.  Use frozen if you can't get ahold of fresh.
- 2 slices prosciutto, fat from edges removed, chopped
- 2 green onions, sliced thinly
- Olive oil- a drizzle or two
- Splash of half-n-half
- Squeeze of fresh lemon juice from a small lemon wege3
- Freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese.  However much you want.  Or however much you can get away with without feeling guilty, but still enough to make you feel like you are getting a treat after a very very long day.
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Handful of chopped parsley.  I didn't have any, but I was thinking how very lovely this dish would have been if I did.

1.  Heat salted water over high heat to boiling and add linguini.  Cook according to package directions.  Mine took about 10 minutes to al dente.

2.  In the last minute of cooking, throw the peas into the water with the noodles.  Cook 1 minute, then remove from heat and strain noodles and peas.

3.  Return pot to burner and reduce heat to medium.  Drizzle a little olive oil and add prosciutto.  Stir and cook a minute or  two, just until it gets a little color on it.

4.  Add noodles and peas back to pot, along with half and half.  Heat until a little bubbly, then add salt, pepper, and cheese, reserving a little for garnish.  Add green onions, toss to incorporate.

5.  Serve with additional cheese on top.  And parsley if you have it.  Enjoy with a glass of wine as you think about how 3 days in a row of dance class really is too much, and maybe you've lost your mind since you already signed your daughter up for more of it for the entire summer.

UPDATE 5/20/12: Pictures!  I made this dish again today, this time with some whole-grain linguini I found at another grocery store, and I also added a little squeeze of lemon juice, which really brightened up the flavors!  I've added that onto the ingredients listed in the recipe.

Slow-Cooker Turkey and Vegetable Lasagna

As I learned from one of my favorite authors, Susan Mallery awhile back, you can make lasagna in the Crock Pot!  Well, who knew??  Not me- until I saw the recipe on Susan's blog.  I have made her recipe a few times, and it is fantastic!  This weekend, while pondering the contents of my refrigerator, seeing all of the veggies that were about to go bad unless they were used NOW, I devised a plan for a vegetable lasagna, based on my experience with making Susan's recipe.  I had a package of ground turkey breast too, so decided to use that as well.  The result is a very robust, yet light, healthy lasagna that takes just a few hours in the slow cooker.  Disclaimer: yes, it does take some prep time.  You do have to sautee the turkey and vegetables, but after that it is very easy to put together, and then you can forget about it until dinner time!

I used the veggies that were hanging around in my fridge at the time, but you can use whatever you have on hand.  The important thing is that you sautee them really well, because any water that they retain is going to stay in the slow cooker when they are cooking in there.  No one likes a watery lasagna!  I would stick to veggies that sautee well, and stay away from the hardy winter veggies like turnips and the like.  I used broccoli, carrots, onions, asparagus, zucchini, mushrooms, and spinach in mine, and  I used a 6-quart oval slow cooker for this dish.

Turkey and Vegetable Lasagna
Serves: At least 8.  This is a dish you can make for a crowd, or in anticipation of leftovers

1 package (1.25 lbs) ground turkey breast
1/2 of a large onion, diced
3  tbsp olive oil, divided
Chopped vegetables- about 3-4 cups total, chopped small and uniform in size (I used carrots, broccoli, asparagus, zucchini, and mushrooms
1 bag baby spinach, chopped
2 jars store-bought spagetti sauce
10 oz. mozzarella cheese, shredded
About 1 lb ricotta cheese
1/2  box no-boil lasagna noodles

1.  Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and add onion.  Stir and cook until tender, then add turkey.  Cook, breaking up meat with a spatula, until cooked through.  Drain and set aside.

2. Clean out pan and heat the other 1.5 tbsp olive oil over medium heat.  Add carrots, sautee for 3 minutes, then add broccoli and asparagus and sautee 3 more minutes or until barely tender.  Add zucchini and mushrooms and sautee 3 more minutes.  Add spinach and sautee 1 minute until spinach has wilted and most of the liquid has evaporated.  Set aside.  Note: cooking times approximate.  Use your own judgement when sauteeing the vegggies!

3.  In slow cooker, spread about 1/4 cup spagetti sauce in the bottom of the crock.  Add lasgna noodles, breaking up to fill in uncovered spots.  Spread with more sauce to cover.

4.  Add 1/2 of the turkey and onions, then 1/2 of the vegetables, distributing evenly.  Spoon 1/2 of the ricotta cheese onto the vegetable mixture, spreading over the vegetables as you go.  Sprinkle with 1/3 of the shredded mozzarella cheese.

5.  Place another layer of lasagna noodles over cheese and repeat with sauce, the rest of the turkey, vegetables, ricotta, and 1/3 of the mozzarella.

6.  Top with final layer of noodles and the rest of the sauce.  Place lid and cook on LOW for about 4 hours or until noodles are cooked through and sauce is bubbly.

7.  Sprinkle remaining 1/3 of the mozzarella cheese on top, replace lid and cook 20 minutes more.

8.  Allow to sit for 10 minutes before cutting and serving.

Chicken Stroganoff With Asparagus

Maybe it's the time of year, but I've been craving (and cooking) comfort foods lately.  I make a lot of soups this time of year, but I also get hungry for more substantial, stick-to-your-ribs dishes: meatloaf, potatoes, roasted meats. creamy, cheesy casseroles, and the like.  Last weekend I caved and made a meatloaf and au gratin potatoes.  SOOOOO good....and I've been paying for it in the form of a tighter waistband all week!  Time to lighten things up a bit!

Today is Saturday, which are always busy at my house.  My kids both have activities first thing in the morning, so usually my hubby and I tag-team: he takes one, I take the other, and we coordinate pick-up depending on who has what else going on.  Today I was all on my own, as my husband picked up a shift at work.  What an adventure!  Between getting everyone (meaning the kids) fed and out the door on time, I didn't even have time for breakfast for myself- had to grab a muffin from the grocery store bakery and eat it in the parking lot of the dance school!  By the time I got everyone picked up and home, I was STARVING.  I was soooo tempted to go get take-out, but as we are trying to stay on a budget, decided to stick to whatever is in my fridge and make it work.

I enjoy challenges like this, but not when I am REALLY hungry.  Whatever I was going to make had to be fast and easy.  I had about a cup of cooked wide noodles left over from a couple of nights before, so decided to start there.  I also had some uncooked thin-sliced chicken breasts, so I decided to put the two together.  I like beef stroganoff- why not chicken?  The rest of the ingredients came together quickly: sliced onion and mushrooms, some asparagus (because I bought a bunch on sale and need to use it up, so it's going in pretty much everything these days), and a sauce made from chicken broth, thickened with corn starch, and a little lite sour cream.  Because the noodles were already cooked, it came together in about 10 minutes.  And know what- it was delicious!  I love it when a plan comes together!

This was great comfort food that was not terribly unhealthy or fattening.  Adding the asparagus adds bulk and flavor to the dish, not to mention fiber and nutrients.  I used whole grain egg noodles, which are much healthier than regular noodles.  Organic chicken broth does not contain as much salt as a lot of other brands, so I was able to control the amount of salt by adding my own.  Light sour cream gives the sauce enough flavor and creamiess without adding much fat at all.  All in all, a very well-rounded dish- great flavor AND great ingredients!

I made a small batch, which was about 2 good sized servings.  Just double or triple ingredients to serve more.

Chicken Stroganoff With Asparagus

vegetable oil
1/2 of a good-sized boneless skinless chicken breast half, sliced thinly into bite-sized pieces
1/4 cup sliced onion
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup sliced asparagus
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup cooked wide noodles (mine were whole grain egg noodles)
About 3/4 cup chicken broth
1 tsp corn starch
1 tbsp light sour cream
salt/pepper to taste
Optional: fresh grated parmesan cheese for garnish

1.  Heat a couple tsp. vegetable oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.  Add onions.  Stir and cook about 2 minutes.

2.  Add asparagus and cook, stirring, about 2 more minutes.

3.  Add mushrooms. Cook, stirring only occasionally, about 2 minutes, until mushrooms are browned.

4.  Remove vegetables from pan and set aside.  Heat a bit more oil in pan and add chicken.  Cook, stirring, until browned and cooked through.

5.  Add vegetables back to pan, along with garlic.

6.  Mix corn starch in a small bowl with about 1 tbsp of chicken broth.  Add the rest of the chicken broth to the pan, bring up to a boil, then add corn starch mixture.  Stir well to incorporate.  Mixutre should thicken to a gravy-like consistency.

7.  Remove from heat. Add salt and pepper to taste.  Stir in sour cream.  Serve over hot noodles, garnished with parmesan cheese.

Chicken Breast Schnitzel

Ok, I have to be up front about the fact that this is NOT necessarily a healthy dish.  This is an every once in awhile dish, maybe once a month, if that.  But dang, it is GOOD!  Fried breaded chicken...it doesn't get much tastier than that!

I developed this recipe after a vacation we took a couple of summers ago to Leavenworth, WA.  It is a very cute little town in north central Washington state.  It was redeveloped some years ago to resemble a Bavarian village, and it is just adorable!  We rented a cabin just outside the town on the river and spent several days walking through the village browsing the shops and enjoying the parks and restaurants.  One night we went out to dinner at one of the German restaurants in the heart of the village.   My kids were VERY skeptical of this, because they had never been to such a restaurant and didn't believe they would have anything they'd like.  When I described to them what a schnitzel was, they reversed their opinions and decided they could eat there after all!

A true schnitzel, as it originated in Austria, is made of a veal cutlet, pounded to nearly paper thin and then breaded and fried.  According to Wikipedia, a Weiner Schnitzel is served with a slice of lemon and a side of potato salad.  Which begs the question how the hot dog chain ended up taking the name...but I digress.  Weiner Schnitzel Art is the term when it is made with pork in Germany, which it commonly is in present day.  The restaurant we went to served pork as their main schnitzel dish, but also offered a chicken variation.  My daughter, being 9 at the time, was picky and only ate about 12 foods total (one being chicken), so this was OK with her.  My son, who was more adventurous, chose the pork.  Both dishes were wonderful and amazing, and solicited the following comment: "You HAVE to make this at home!!!"

Thankfully, this is not a complicated dish.  Boneless skinless chicken breast is sliced in half crosswise (like cutting a deck of cards), then each half pounded until it is uniformly thin.  It is then dipped in seasoned flour, then into beaten egg, and then into bread crumbs before being fried until golden and crispy.  It is deliciously moist and juicy inside, crispy and flavorful on the outside, especially when served with a wedge of fresh lemon to squeeze over it as you eat.  This has become a favorite dinner at my house, and one I only serve, as I said, very occasionally, as I am not a big fan of frying things in oil.  But this is the dish my kids beg for, the one they answer first when asked "what do you want for dinner?"

I'm posting this for Beverly, who is my daughter's friend Mikayla's grandma.  We had Mikayla to dinner a few weeks ago and I made this, and she absolutely loved it, so Bev has made it a few times at home herself.  I'm always glad to pass on a popular recipe!

Chicken Breast Schnitzel
Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 large boneless skinless chicken breast halves, trimmed of fat
2 cups flour
Couple dashes salt, pepper, and paprika
2 eggs, beaten
2.5 cups bread crumbs (I use panko- they are the crispiest)
Vegetable oil for frying
1 fresh lemon, sliced into wedges

Directions:

1.  With a very sharp knife, slice each chicken breast half crosswise (through its thickness).

2.  Place each slice of chicken between two layers of wax paper covered with a dish towel and pound with a rolling pin or meat mallet to a uniform thickness of about 1/4 nich.

3.  Mix flour, salt, pepper and paprika in a wide, shallow dish.  Beat eggs in a separate dish, and place bread crumbs in a third dish.  Line them up in the listed order, like a assembly line.

4.  Heat a couple of tbsp. vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.

5.  Dip one chicken slice into the flour mixture, coating well on both sides.  Dip into egg mixture, again coating it on both sides, then into bread crumbs.

6.  Fry chicken pieces in skillet until golden brown on each side, making sure to cook through.  When cooked, remove to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.

7. Repeat for all chicken pieces, cleaning pan and adding new oil between batches as necessary.

8.  Serve hot with lemon wedges on the side.

We usually have ours with a noodle side that is made by Rice-a-Roni, Olive Oil and Herb blend.  Years ago, I used to buy a Near East boxed noodle dish that we all loved, but they don't seem to carry it anywhere anymore.  This is the closest I have found to it, and my kids really like it.

Next time I will be back to posting healthier dishes- sometimes you just gotta have that good comfort food!  As fried dishes go, you could do a lot worse than this one.  See you next time!

Spatchcocked Roasted Chicken

 Roasted chicken is one of the most basic comfort foods, and a favorite in my house.  It is my daughter's dinner of choice for special dinners, and my son always looks forward to them because where there's roast chicken, there's gravy, and where there's gravy, there's mashed potatoes!  This is a bit of a twist on basic roasted chicken, because prior to roasting, the chicken is spatchcocked.  Yes, spatchcocked.  What the heck is that? It's just a fancy (humorous?) term for removing the backbone to essentially butterfly the chicken.  The advantage to this method is that it takes less time to roast than leaving the chicken whole.  For my chicken, I chose to marinate it prior to roasting, but you can do a simple roast without the marinade.

Roasted Garlic-Lemon Spatchcocked Chicken

Ingredients:

 1 whole roaster/fryer chicken, about 4 pounds
Olive oil, about 1/2 cup
4-5 cloves garlic
1 lemon
3-4 sprigs fresh rosemary, removed from stems and coarsly chopped (or use a tbsp or so of dried)
Salt and pepper (or grill seasoning, which is what I used)

Instructions:

1.  Place chicken breast side down on cutting board.  With a knife, make an incision along the right side of the backbone from top to bottom.

 2.  With kitchen shears (or a knife, if you prefer), cut along the incision all the way through.  This is easiest if you can find where the ribs meet the backbone, and cut right along where they join.

3.  Repeat with the other side of the backbone to remove it completely.

  4.  Wash lemon and slice 1/8 inch thick slices.  Crush garlic cloves to remove skins.

5.  Place lemon slices and garlic in a large self-sealing bag, along with the olive oil, rosemary, and salt and pepper to taste.  From the outside of the bag, squeeze some of the lemon slices with your fingers to release the juice into the marinade.

6.  Add chicken to bag and seal.  Turn bag so that marinade evenly distributes and coats the chicken.

7.  Marinate at least one hour, but several is preferable.

8.  Place a rack in your roasting pan, or use a baking sheet with a wire rack.  Remove chicken from marinade, open chicken up and place on rack skin side up.

9.  Roast at 375 for 30 minutes.  After only 30 minutes, my chicken already looked like this:

10.  Reduce heat to 350 degrees and continue roasting, approximately another 40-50 minutes, until meat thermometer registers 170 degrees in the thigh.  Baste occasionally while roasting.

11.  Allow to rest 10 minutes before carving.

This chicken was SO moist and tender, and had great flavor from the marinade.  I marinated mine about 4 hours before roasting.  I did not make a gravy this time, as we were having rice with this rather than potatoes, but you certainly could make a gravy with the pan drippings if you wanted to.

We all like the breast meat best, so had thighs and drumsticks for leftovers.  I made a simple chicken salad for sandwiches with those leftovers, and since the meat was infused with the garlic, lemon and rosemary from the marinade, I thought that adding pesto to the chicken salad would give it something a little different.  It was very tasty!  I used about 2 parts mayonnaise and 1 part plain yogurt until I got the consistency I wanted, then added a couple teaspoons of prepared pesto.  I really liked the zing that the pesto gave it.

This makes a great Sunday dinner or celebration dinner without too much fuss.  The chicken can go into the marinade early in the day, and then just pop into the oven a couple of hours before it's time to eat.  Skin-on chicken is not the healthiest of meals, but every once in awhile doesn't hurt.  I like the fact that it takes less time to roast when it's spatchcocked like this.

That's all for now- next time I will be back with an interesting side dish that I hope you will like.